PHILIPPINES ACTIONS

From 7 to 13 October, the Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines (MWAP) held a week of action against precarious work. This was in line with the global campaign to STOP Precarious Work and with the World Day for Decent Work on 7 October.

MWAP affiliates held various actions to promote the issue of decent work. Meetings inside production areas and union membership meetings were conducted, group discussions with workers were also organized.

MWAP also issued a statement on precarious work. The Statement was printed on a leaflet and distributed in companies and in worker communities. The statement was also discussed in the union meetings.

Long struggle brings lasting compensation to families of shipbreaking workers in Alang

When the shipbreaking organizing project started in 2003, led by one of IndustriALL’s founding organizations (the International Metalworkers’ Federation), it was of common knowledge among the locals that whenever a shipbreaking worker was killed on the job the body was unceremoniously tossed into the sea. As most of the workers are undocumented migrant workers, no one ever bothered to ask any questions, search for the families or make any demand against the employer. That was before the workers had a union.

In the video “Into the Graveyard” produced in 2010 by the IndustriALL affiliate leading the project work, the Mumbai Port Trust & Dock & General Workers Union, Vidyadhar Rane, Secretary General of the shipbreaking workers' union tells the poignant story of six workers killed in an incident in Alang shipbreaking yard in August 2009. Two of the workers were from Uttar Pradesh, the four others were from one family from Piperla Village in Gujarat, 3km away from the yard.

The union, the Alang Sosiya Ship Recycling and General Workers' Association (ASSRGWA), took the case to the highest levels of justice, demanded a special enquiry and for the first time ever in the history of Alang, obtained financial compensation for the 6 workers deaths. It took the union 3 more years of unwavering tenacity and commitment to finally obtain, in September 2012, a monthly pension from the Provident Fund for the widows and family of the workers from Piperla Village.  

Last week, on 3 October, a union delegation from Alang and Mumbai in India and IndustriALL Head & Regional Offices and Bondgenoten/FNV Mondiaal from the Netherlands met with the families of shipbreaking workers that died in August 2009 to hand over the precious documents that entitle the families to a pension.

The international union delegation came directly from the IndustriALL project evaluation and planning meeting, which took place nearby in Bhavnagar, on 3 and 4 October. The meeting examined the recommendations made by an external evaluator for the FNV Mondiaal and the possibilities to continue supporting the organizing drive in Alang.

The shipbreaking workers’ union in Alang now counts around 10,000 members, out of an average of 40,000-50,000 workers, and the union in Mumbai over 3,500 workers.  Every year, the union has grown and gained major achievements for the workers, including:

One of the major challenges that remain ahead is how to create a tripartite structure to engage in social dialogue to improve overall working conditions in the shipbreaking yards. As in Alang the Shipbreaking Employers each rent their plots, which can occupy between 50 to 2,000 workers and as they draw upon some 182 contractors to provide cheap labour, the union currently needs to fight case by case, plot by plot, and cannot bargain collectively to overall improve the horrendous working conditions on the yard. 

As Vidyadvar Rane mentions:

“one of the major achievements is that now the majority of the participants in this meeting are the shipbreaking workers themselves from Alang and Mumbai together, coming to discuss their situation and planning how to strengthen their union and defend their rights.” 

For the very first time, the meeting was happy to welcome two young women workers who informed the union about the even more precarious working conditions of around 1,500 to 2,000 women in the yards and requested support from the union to demand equal remuneration, job security and safety equipment.  

Sadly, despite all the good news regarding the growth of the union and progress in obtaining benefits, the death of 6 young workers on 6 October 2012 acted as a timely reminder to the authorities of the terrible conditions workers continue to face despite the union’s best efforts.

IndustriALL is appalled at this tragic loss and fully supports the complaint made by ASSRGWA with the various concerned authorities, including Port authorities, Factory Inspectors, and the Asst. Labour Commissioner, demanding a Special Enquiry of the incident and will continue to monitor and coordinate closely with its affiliate on all further action required. 

Murder of unionists condemned as labour unrest spreads in South Africa’s mines

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) reports that at Num’s Western Platinum branch, the secretary and chairperson were killed in separate targeted incidents and whilst a third branch leader escaped, his wife was killed. A relative of a NUM shop steward was also shot and killed at the shop steward’s home in what seems to be a case of mistaken identity. At another NUM branch, the chairperson was seriously injured after his house was torched and in the West Rand a shop steward was dragged from his room and shot at close range.
 
In a letter to NUM, IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina, expressed his shock and horror for what he describes as, “the spate of callous and cowardly murderous attacks on members of the NUM in the aftermath of the Marikana tragedy.”
 
Cosatu also reports that five Num members, two of them shop stewards, were killed in violence associated with a strike at Lonmin`s platinum mine in Marikana between 10-16 August, and of the 34 people shot dead by police on 16 August, 14 were NUM members. On 11 September, a third NUM shop steward, Dumisani Mthinti, was found hacked to death near the scene of this shooting.
 
“IndustriALL Global Union sends a message of condolence to the families, friends and fellow-workers of those that lost their lives and calls for the speedy arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators responsible for these chillingly brutal and barbaric acts of murder,” writes Raina. “We reiterate our unconditional solidarity support to the NUM in all its endeavours to resolve this most trying challenge to its admirable historic legacy of unstinting struggle for a better live for mineworkers and their families.”
 
According to current estimates, 80,000 to 100,000 platinum and gold miners are on strike, a consequence of negotiating the Lonmin settlement outside of the bargaining process, which has emboldened other workers, who face similar hardships to seek better wages and conditions and unprotected strikes have spread like wild fire. This is not a result of weakness in trade union representation but rather, of workers emotively and reactively pushing back on exploitation in the mining sector that has resisted transformation.  
 
Even with global scrutiny, some mining companies have remained business as usual in their approach to industrial relations. Anglo Platinum has been opportunistic, taking advantage of this trying time for labour to cut its workforce at its marginal Rustenburg operations. On 5 October, Anglo Platinum fired 12,000 workers engaged in an unprotected strike at its Rustenburg operations. 
 
Its motives for the pre-emptive suspensions of the Rustenburg operations on 11 September citing the current volatile situation in the area, which was in fact a lock out that encouraged the strike, are also questionable. Now the company laments publicly that the three week strike has meant huge revenue losses, but it does not speak of its savings on operating costs for the period and on workers bonuses that it will not need to pay. In the meantime, the supply constraint has meant that the price of platinum has risen while the rand has been weakened. All of this is good news for platinum producers including Anglo Platinum, increasing the profitability of the sector. 
 
 

NEW ZEALAND ACTIONS

IndustriALL Affiliate in New Zealand, FIRST Union Joined the International campaign for decent work and Job Security and shared a press release on IndustriALL's report on ageency Labour "The Triangular Trap"

Robert Reid, FIRST Union General Secretary, said unions in New Zealand were increasingly turning their attention to the growing number of workers in precarious or uncertain employment situations.

Another victory for SME!

11 October marks three years since the government tried to break the Mexican Union of Electricity Workers (Sindicato de Electricistas de México, SME) by liquidating Mexico City’s state-owned electricity supply company Luz y Fuerza, transferring its functions to the CFE and making the workforce redundant. On behalf of its members, the SME applied to the courts for protection (amparo directo 1337/2010) against the termination of employment contracts by the government's Administration and Transfer of Goods Service (Servicio de Administración y Enajenación de Bienes, SAE).

The first circuit’s second collegiate labour court  granted the application and ruled that the termination of electricity workers’ employment contracts was invalid and that the CFE is their new employer.

“We will celebrate at the general meeting,” said Martín Esparza Flores, SME General Secretary, as he left the Ministry of the Interior after a meeting with Obdulio Ávila and SAE officials.

 “We carried on this fight to defend trade union organisation, to defend the terms of our collective agreement, to continue defending the electricity industry and to recover our jobs,” said the electricity workers’ leader.

Carlos de Buen, the lawyer representing SME, explained that the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board (JFCA) should now issue a new ruling in line with the court’s judgement, reversing its earlier judgement that the workers’ employment contracts had been terminated.

He added that the CFE must reinstate the 16,599 workers who have not been paid off, pay wages in arrears to all workers and pay pension benefits to employees who have reached retirement age during the three years of this dispute.

Lawyers and legal officials will explain the judgement to workers at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the union to be held at the Monument of the Revolution on Thursday October 11.

SME said that the outcome was “recompense for defending workers’ rights”.

UGANDA ACTIONS

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Uganda Textile, Garments, Leather and Allied Workers' Union (UTGLWU) mobilized branches to create awareness on the STOP Precarious Work campaign.

AUSTRALIA ACTIONS

On 7 October the Australian Council of Trade Unions shared a press release on IndustriALL Global Union's report "The Triangular Trap".

ACTU President Ged Kearney said that IndustriALL’s report showed how job agencies around the world were lobbying government to make it easier to cut workers rights.

FID challenges IAM Gold dismissals in Burkina Faso

The dismissal, which includes 14 shop stewards, is part of a long battle for better working conditions at the mine. In October 2011, workers demanded, amongst other things, overtime pay for workers that had clocked in more than 80 hours per week, fulltime contracts for workers that had more than two years of service at the company and an allowance for dirt, quarter and dust.

After no response from IAM Gold to the demands, workers went on strike in December 2011, which was abandoned after three days at the request of government. IAM Gold responded to the strike by suspending three quarters of the workforce and in 2012, gradually reinstated all but the 74 that were dismissed.

Initially IAM Gold tried to dismiss the workers but permission for the dismissal was denied by the labour inspector, hence the suspension. As the strike was legal, there was no basis for the dismissals or the suspensions, which in any case contravened the labour law in Burkina Faso that provides for a maximum 8 days suspension period.

Attempts by the union to have suspended workers reinstated were ignored and the matter was referred for conciliation. After six sessions, the dispute was not resolved and IAM Gold dismissed the remaining 74 suspended workers. The matter has now been referred to the labour court.  

“The actions of IAM Gold are violations of a number of international labour rights including the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike,” says IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina

The reprehensible behaviour of this multinational has not escaped our attention and we demand that IAM Gold reinstate these victimised workers and urgently address poor working conditions at the mine.

Landmark victory for UWUL in Liberia

This is the first time in the history of Liberia that workers in Grand Gedeh County are to be represented by a trade union. The mine currently employs 580 workers but this is expected to grow to 2,600 by mid 2013.

David Sackoh, General Secretary of UWUL acknowledges the solidarity support his union has received, in particular from United Steelworkers and the Solidarity Centre.

"We want to use this opportunity to express our profound thanks and appreciation to all our partners who supported our organizing campaign in Putu," said Sackoh. "These brothers and sisters have worked with us over the past 7 years to build a useful labour movement in post war Liberia, and wish to encourage you to continue in the spirit of solidarity."

Reacting to the good news, USW International Vice President, Fred Redmond said “The USW extends its congratulations to the members of UWUL who have achieved a landmark collective bargaining agreement which ensures that the people who create the wealth through their hard work will share in the prosperity."

"These achievements are only possible when workers come together and organize and UWUL is leading the way in Liberia when it comes to building power for its members." said Redmond. "Through our joint work the USW and UWUL will continue to build a global labour movement that can demand fair treatment from transnational companies.”

Unions around the world mobilize against precarious work

Unions around the world have joined IndustriALL’s global campaign to STOP Precarious Work. From Argentina to Mali and from Palestine to Germany workers voices are being heard loud and clear.  Workers have taken to the streets in Burkina Faso, Colombia, Guinea, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan , Mali, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Thailand and many other countries. Elsewhere, unions raised awareness of the issues with their members, debated union responses to precarious work and sent letters to their governments demanding action. In many cases, affiliates have been successful in getting national media coverage of their actions. Click here to see where unions have been taking action. 

On 2 October, IndustriALL’s report ‘The Triangular Trap’ was released, attacking the massive expansion of the use of agency work and demanding direct employment. Unions have started using “The Triangular Trap” to inform their members and the public of this global threat to workers’ rights, and to strengthen their demands on government and employers.

In Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) President Ged Kearney said that IndustriALL’s report showed how job agencies around the world were lobbying government to make it easier to cut workers rights.

In Turkey the report is being translated into Turkish by IndustriALL affiliate Petrol-Is for wide distribution to union members, while 36 members of the Textile, Knitting and Garment Industry Workers’ Union (TEKSIF) who were recently dismissed from Texim textile factory in Istanbul distributed the press release on the report to the workers at the factory.

Meanwhile, affiliates of IndustriAll European Trade Union responded to its call to  “stand up for industry as the bedrock of the European economy” in a mobilization from 8-12 October. News of actions has been pouring in from unions in Europe. The full list of participating countries can be seen here.